Signal-lamp



W.`F. MCMAHON.

SIGNAL LAMP. APPLICATION HLED Aue.27ix911.

Patented May 31,1921.

- ATTOR-NE Y WTNESSES:

UNITED STA'II PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM FRANCIS MGMAHON, F JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

SIGNAL-LAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented lay 31 1921 Application filed August 27, 1917. Serial No. 188,327.

To all/w71 om it may concern Be it known that I, YlllliLLIAi/i F. MoMA- 'HoN, a citizen ol' the TJnited States, residing at Johnstown, in the county oi' Cambria and State ot Pennsylvania, have 'invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signal-Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in lamps oil the type used .tor signal or display purposes on automobiles. rThe invention consists in the combination and arrange ment of parts to be hereinafter fully described, pointed out in the appended claim and illustrated in the accompanyingl draw ing which forms a part of this specification and in which--V Figure 1 is a front view ol the lamp.

Fig. 2 is a section through the lamp on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

F ig. 3 is a sectional view of the automobile steering post showing` the control switch for the lamp which is applied thereto.

Fig. l; is a diagrammatic view showing the lights and the electric control therefor.

Like reterenee characters denote correspondinpI parts throughout the several views.

Upon a bracket arm 1 which may be suitably secured to the rontor rear of the vehicle in a conspicuous position I secure a casinoI comprising the cylindrical member 2 and back 3. To the front end l of the casing` the door 5 is hinged and provided with the hlass tace. 6. The outer surface ot the face d is painted or otherwise rendered opaque except tor three small circular portions 7, 5%., 9 which are lett transparent and in which portions the letters S, In and li-f respectively, are displayed, said letters representing the words straight, lett and right Within the casing' 2, I provide a diaphragm 10 in which three electric lights l1 are fixed. said ,lights each being provided with a reflector Each light, further, is incased in a substantially cylindrical housing 13 which also encircles the reflector of that light and extends from the diaphragm to the glass face 6 and en- Compasses one or" the transparent portions 7, 8 or Si oi? that face. The casingy 2 is termed with an aperture 111- in alinement with an aperture 15 in one oi the housings 13, each housing); being: provided with a similar aperture7V so that a person may see Jfrom a position at one side of the casing 2 whethenany ofV the lights are lighted. Ibach hous1ng-13 at the end abutting the face 6 is provided with a flexible band 16 which tends to prevent the spread of light over said tace beyond the vconfines o1 that housing-end.

The reflectors 12 are in the form of collars secured to the housings 13 and have lianges secured to the diaphragm 10.

A flexible tube 17 secured to the back 3 of the casingl carries the electric light wires to the steering post 1S and through the same to the switch 19 secured to said post. The switch 19 is provided with three keys 2() each of which controls one light 11. When the driver is about to turn to the right he presses the key 20 that will turn on the light 11 that will illuminate the transparent face portion 9 whereon the symbol li is displayed. In like nianner he will control the illumination of the other-.transparent :faceportions. rI`he driver, from his seat, may at all times know whether the lights are in working order through the medium of the apertures in. the casing` and housings 13.

What is claimed is:-

A signal lamp including a frusto-conical casing, a back at the smaller end ot said casing, a diaphragm held by the back7 elec tric light bulbs carried by said diaphragm and arranged in triangular relation, larinph housings within said casino; having their smaller ends iitted over said bulbs 'and abutting` against said diaphragm, collars received within the smaller ends oi the housings and secured thereto.` said collars having flanges secured to the diaphragm, a transparency at the larger end et' said cas-- ing lying against the large ends oi". said flared housings and made opaque except at areas defined by the larger ends of the housings with signal indicia on such areas,bands around the flared ends of the housings, said casing and housings having); registering apertures at the sides thereof7 and means for selectively lighting said electric bulbs.

In testimony that I claim the toregoing as my own I have hereto aixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM FRANCIS MCMAHON.

Witnesses:

W. S. SHERIDAN, T. A.. NroonnMUsi 

